Chemical peels are one of the most popular medical spa treatments. They are perfect for those who want to improve the appearance of their skin. A chemical peel can help reduce wrinkles, improve the texture of your skin, and give you a more youthful appearance.
If you’re considering a chemical peel, we encourage you to read on to know the benefits of getting a chemical peel at a medical spa!
Table of Contents
What is a chemical peel?
A chemical peel is a medical-grade facial that uses a chemical solution to exfoliate your skin. The solution removes the top layer of dead skin cells, revealing the fresh, new skin beneath.
There are three different types of chemical peels:
1. Light or superficial peels
Light peels are perfect for those who want to improve the overall appearance of their skin with minimal downtime.It uses alpha hydroxy (AHA) and beta hydroxy (BHA) acids, like lactic acid and salicylic acid, to remove the top layer of skin.
Antioxidants can also be added to the skin by using pineapple and papaya extracts. This type of peel is quick, doesn’t hurt, and doesn’t require any downtime. It might cause skin to flake for a short time, but this can be covered up with makeup.
It’s good for fine lines, mild discoloration of face, rough skin, and shallow scars.
2. Medium peels
Medium peels are ideal for those who have more advanced sun damage or wrinkles.This cure comes from glycolic acid and trichloroacetic acid (TCA). It goes deeper into the skin and gives better results, but it hurts and takes a long time to heal. You might feel like you’re being stung for up to an hour after the treatment.
Over the course of a few days, as your skin heals, your face may also look swollen, feel itchy, and peel a lot. Up to six weeks after the treatment, your face may also look pink. It helps alleviate age spots, freckles, sun damage, and wrinkles.
3. Deep peels
Deep peels are reserved for those who have significant sun damage or deeply ingrained wrinkles. This treatment uses phenol or string TCA to reach the dermal layers and change the color and texture of your skin in a very noticeable way. But be careful: this treatment can only be done once.
Some people need to be put to sleep because it hurts so much, and your face may feel burned for a long time afterward. It could also make your face scab up. On the plus side, this treatment has long-term effects for those who have deep lines and scarring, sun damaged skin, and wrinkles.
As with many treatments, chemical peels can cause problems, especially if you are allergic to the peeling agent used on your skin. You may also feel more sensitive to sunlight where you have peeled. Make sure to get help from a skin expert to get the most out of chemical peels.
What’s the recovery process like?
Each type of peel has a different way of getting better. You might need to use a protective ointment on your skin as it heals. You’ll also need to protect your skin from the sun by putting on sunscreen.
For light chemical peels
You might feel a little dry and irritated. Most of the time, you can wear makeup the next day and go back to your normal skin care routine, like washing and moisturizing. Your skin will probably be completely better in 1 to 7 days.
For medium chemical peels
Most of the time, a medium chemical peel has the following side effects:
- Redness
- Stinging
- Swelling
The process of getting better usually takes between 7 and 14 days. You may still be a little red on your face for a few months.
For deep chemical peel
The redness can last for up to 3 months, while the swelling can last for up to 14 days.
Your skin may take up to 14 days to grow back. During this time, you’ll need to wear a dressing from the surgery and take painkillers.
After 14 days, you can usually start putting on makeup.
The bottom line
A chemical peel is a way to look better by getting rid of the top layer of skin. This can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, dullness, dark spots, and scars. But it won’t help fix issues with deep lines and scars, or tighten loose skin. Talk to a dermatologist to find out if a chemical peel is right for you.
